Locking mechanism for binder posts



July 18, 1933. P. o; UNGER LOCKING MECHANISM FOR BINDER POSTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1932 yak 71 527E 1 am? 0. Z622 July 18, 1933. P. o. UNGER LOCKING MECHANISM FOR BINDER POSTS 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1932 V5.47 :25 Paul 0 Zzz efla ini Patented July 18, 1933 PAUL Q. UNGEB, or CHICAGO, ILLINO ISQAS SI GNOR-To WiL NQJONE J QM j' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS-A GOR-10RATION.OF MassAc psm-ms' i V OoKINMEoHAN sM R ii I iApplication med rbmary as', 193a, sei i misaaiz 'This invention relates to locking 'mecha nism for binder posts, and it is an object of this'invention "to provide means whereby the locking posts for'loosel'eaf binders may be 5 readily actuated for locking the'two binder 1 heads in adjusted position.- I a f The invention comprises the novelstructure and combination-0f parts hereinafter described andmore particularly pointed out and defined in the'appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain preferred embodimentsof thishinvention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different View-st v Q t Figure lisafragmentary end eleyational view of a loose leaf binder involving this inyention.

,FigureQ is an enlarged sectional View takenupon'the line II-II ofFigure 1 looking in the direction; of the arrows andillustrati'ng theinteriorp'arts in elevation' iFigure 3 is an enlargedsectionaI iew taken upon the line III-#111 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow and with theloose sheets omitted; t p y i Figure t is an enlarged fragmentary sec tional view'taken upon the lineIV- IV of Figure 2 looking in the direction of gthe Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sec-,

tional View taken upon the line Vj-'V of F igure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

5 j Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional n1 in the direction: of the arrows.

Figure ,8 is awfurther-niodifiedform of locking post representing ai yertical section uponansenlarged scale. i Figure- 9 1s an enlarged sectional View 1 is taken upon the.line.IX-IX of Figure 8 looking in thediiection of the arrows; 1" a taken upon the line X;-X of Figure8 looking in the direction of the arrows ya flattened portion llas shown inv Figure 5, and this flattened portion is prov' ed' w'i th flOis-inunloc edrpojsition. a

The; lockin'g post10 etziends into the aforet r t y i -1'nen'ti0ned casing jand a gearfseginent 14 is Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional :view

ia-a w s mod fied fbtm qr locking post. Figure12 I structure shown in Figurefll.

Figure 13- is. an 'enlarged sectional viewfi? f i taken uponthe linefXII I+XI II of Fig ure 1 1.]; a 7 t Describing the invention in the form shown in Figures l to 5, itzwill be noted that only those parts of the binder' that cooperate with 6.0:

is'a' bottom) plan view'o'f the I the invention-have been illustrated." this I end there is shown acom'pression memberor over the back of -the bin'der. Cooperatin binder head-1 having a flange 2 that extends with the binder head '1, there isfa secon' P I binder head 3 haVingfmargina-l upturned flanges over} which a'coyer plate {extends This cover plate 4"has a right angle flange 5 7 that extends over the back portion of the binder, Theeoln ression member 3and eo '70 4 fOIma'CaSiHg or ,apu p' et a't willi'later ppear: v I i V i l t Suitable iinpaling'postsfi are secjureata the compression members' l and 2 as shownfin Intermediate the impaling posts kfi ,there is a Figure 3 for 'confiningjloosesheets mar e locking post which consists of a tubular member 7 which i si'seeured the binder head 1;" 5 This tubular member Tfhasf a I 'flat portion 81 upon' one portion of its periphery as shown in'Eigure15 and a portioriloffthis fiat 'part'i8 "is providedlwith serrationsor is a docking post 10 which is provi'de d with teeth or serrations "12 as shown iuFig'ure 4 10 there is an arcuate, cut-out 7 portion 13 t as teeth 9. 'Withinthe tubular member 7 there for engaging the notches between the teeth 9 on the tubular member 7 whenthe postlO "-is rotated. Adjacent the teeth 12 on the post v 'shownjin Fi'g'ure 5%which is adapted to be 1 "positioned op osite the teeth? when thepost I secured upon' th'e' upper end of said post 10 within the casing' This gear segment is pro therefrom. It will-.of course be understood that the binder illustrated is of the expansible type in which-the compressionmembers may on a rack bar 17 which is slidably mounted in the casing and maintained in engagement. w1th said segment by one wall of the casing which are adapted'for engagingthe stops 19 for limiting the longitudinal movement of such rackbar 17, i t l By sliding the rack bar 17 inwardly and outwardly, the lfockingfipost- 10' is rotated for engaging the teeth-12witlrthe teeth 9 on the tubular member-7 for'disengaging the same be. separated or brought closer together in accordance with thenumber of sheetsin the binder-and that the looking post is for the purpose of locking such binder'i'n its jadjusted position .W hen it is desired to open orexpand-the binderithe slide 17 willbe pulled outwardly for, rotatingrthe locking post 1OYfordisengaging the teeth. thereof from the teeth on the tubular member 7 whereby the compression i-members may, be separated. V

When'it is desired to close the binder after the same, hasbeen opened for the insertion; of additional sheets or for the removal of sheets,

7 thecompression members are forced together and theslidellZis pushed-inwardly to rotate the lockingpost 10 to bring the teeth thereof into locking engagement: with the serrations onthetubular member 7, 7 Instead of usingfthe positive ,locking feature shown in Figures 1, to 5" comprising the .-1nt erengaging teeth or serrations; frictional locking means niayjbeg used as shown 7 in Figu'resb to gin referring first to Figures, ca e, 7,,there isillustrated aconstruct on; in which a tubular-,me1nber 221s secured to the conipressionhead landwi-thin this tubular member 22 there is a sleeve post 23 into which a plunger rod 24 or locking I 'post is threaded, The plunger rod 24c extends into the casing and carries the. gear segment .l lwhere'by the same may rotated as in the "first for n of the invention illustrated.v :The s'leeve23 is provided with a pocket or socket at ts lower end which is closed byla bottom P 1 Within this socket thereare a pair of frictionielements 25 which are in the form V of ordinary bearing balls. Between Jth'e 132111925 th ere is wan-dean 2 c which-is partly located the-bore that contains the v lplungei 2 in plunger 24 isi adapted to l mic -Fait ?ili js l tl i ndfihei e a ment 14; and when this plunger rod is rotated inwardly, it will engage the ball 26 and tend to separate the balls 25 and force the same into frictional engagement with the tubular member 22 for locking the parts together against movement.

7 In the form of Figures 8 and 10, the tubular member 22 contains an eccentric sleeve'27 which is secured atone endto thecompression head 3. Within-tlie eccentric sleeve 27 there is a post'28 the invention "shown in' which carries the gear segment 14 in the cas- 'ing. This post 28 has an enlarged eccentric head 29 below the eccentric sleeve 27, and this head is provided with a socket 30 adjacent its periphery for. carrying aboaringball v 31 which is adapted to; be rotated into, frictional engagement with the sleeve or tubular-member22., By the eccentricity of theipart s, the post 28 may be rotated by the. aforementioned slide 17 to cause a-bindingrelation between the head: 29 of such post and the tubular member, 22 through the instrumentality of the bearing ball or friction element 31 When the friction element 31 is rotated to relieve .v

exp anded; I

In Figures post Int-his form of the invention the tubular locking mmberm is provided with I ll to l 3 there is illustrateda V 'modificd form of; mechanism for positively locking the ditferent members of the locking the bindinet relation the binder ma .be readinternal: threads An eccentric sleeve 34 is secured to the clamping head 3' and alocking post 35 is rotatably mounted in the ecce'i-itric sleeve 34. This post 35; extends into the aforementioned casingand 'ca-rriesthe gear segment 14 at its upper end for actuation by the aforementi'oned slide 17. ffThe locking post 35 extends belowthe eccentric sleeve 34"and itslower end isin the form of an eccentric threaded'head 36which is adapted to be rotated into and out of engagement with the thr'eads'on the tubular member 32 This rotation can of course be effected by the aforementioned slide Through the eccentricity of the parts; the head 36can bequi'ckv ly' rotated' into' locking engagement with the threads'and can be just as quickly rotated u 91 locking engagement with the threads of the tubular member Y great deal of time and laborma y be saved It will be evident that the different for'ms'j of locking posts require only a short. move- "ment ofthe slide 17 for rotating the same i into or out of locking engagement, so that a c in the use of the binder. It will be further appreciated that the reciprocation of the slide is; limited" so'that no damagefca'n be V done to;,-the parts that might ocur if the looking post could'be rotatedan unlimited extent 'to 'cause such binding or'interlocking engagement that might rupture parts of the locking mechanisim 'It will also be evident that the stops 19 govern the rotation of the 7 locking post in that the rotation thereof prevented after a predetermined 'rotationin either direction. In other words, therotation of said post will be stopped when itis in locking position and also when it isin uni locking position. I

'I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction prising a gear upon said post and located 7 within said casing, a slidable rack bar within said casing and maintained in engagement with said gear by a wall of said casing, said rack bar extending beyond said casing and beingprovided with a handle, said rack bar also having spaced shoulders within said oas- 7 ing and a pair of stops insaid casing between said shoulders for limiting the movements of said rack bar'and the rotational movements of said post to locking and unlocking positions. v

' ing movements of said rack to locking and a predetermined rotational movement, com-- 2. Ina loose leaf binder,ja clamping head having a tubular member thereon, a casing,-

a rotationalloekingpost onsaid casing ex.-

tending into saidmember, and means for en; gaging said post and tubular member by a direction and "disengaging thesame there-- from by a predetermined rotational move mentin a reverse direction, comprising a gear upon said post within said casing, a slidable rack bar within said casing and maintained in engagementwith said gearby a wall of predetermined I'OtatlOHfiLr in said casing, and means forglimitingthe slid unlocking positions of said post. Q

3. In a loose leaf binder, a clamping head having a hollow post thereon, a v casing, a rotational'locking post on said casing extendgaging and disengagingsaid locking post "and hollow post by apredetermined rota- ,ing into said hollow post, and means for enr tionalmovement,,compris1ng a gear segment upon said'locking post located within said casing, a slidable rack bar within said casing andengaging said gear segment, said rack" bar having a pair of spaced shoulders, and" shoulders for limiting thesliding movements "of said rack bar to limit the rotation of said i 1 locking post to engaged and disengaged positions- M 'a pair of stops in said casing between said PAUL OJUNGER." i 

